Chapter 1
Time sped by, the usual troublemakers seemed just as nervous as everyone else and there was notably less mischief than usual. Granna had barely left her apartment and Eleen had taken over tending the roof garden. Vaid was recruited to help with preparing #8 for a new tenant. He focused on improving his patience. He’d come here thinking he had lost the impulsiveness of youth but habits long broken seemed to sneak up on him in this new place.
Eleen was getting more comfortable with her new form and had begun to make friends with some of the Vampire tenants. He’d only met Absinthe’s roommates Rose and Vine a few times but they seemed to bring back a lot of Eleen’s confidence. A few things might have changed about her, but the essence that he loved remained. She was insisting she was ready to join him on rounds so they were going to do just that… after the much anticipated meeting.
Vaid knocked on Mr. von Rorh’s door and stepped in as it opened. Wisp was with him as always and he somewhat resented having to work around the absolutely blatant spy. Eleen had gotten a tiny bottle then dropped a little soil and a fluffy bit of moss in. The open bottle was tied to a string that he could wear as a necklace. While not strictly necessary, the little bottle was a sign of his cooperation and he knew it would make a difference in Oberon’s judgment. When not floating out of reach, it would zip into the bottle, dim its light enough to not draw attention and it was surprisingly alert. He was learning to read its reactions to other people, it didn’t like to be too close to anyone and served as an excellent alert to the presence and location of Vampires.
Once inside, the wisp sped to a plant near one of the courtyard facing windows and began zooming through the long leaves in what he was quite certain was frolicking behavior. Vaid’s attention quickly turned to his host who watched the bright little creature with the same interest as Vaid. “Interesting… if invasive.”
“Agreed.” Vaid grumbled dryly. “Thank you for inviting me to visit. You seemed to understand the situation better than some of us and I’m hoping you can shed some light on it.”
“Of course. I believe you know me best by one of my older names… and I bet you can guess it within seconds.” The man said, eyes dancing with anticipation.
“I’ve been trying to think of anything I might have heard about people from this realm but few are mentioned by name.” Vaid admitted. Few non-Demons were deemed important enough to be worth remembering in such detail.
“How about I give you a chance to guess over my favorite game.” He smirked and led Vaid a little further into the room. Partially hidden behind a large, comfortable looking chair was a table, a matching chair facing the first. On the table was something he never thought he would see again. When the man spoke again it was in the Demon tongue. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had a good game and I was hoping you would oblige.”
“Court Strings?” Vaid blinked, falling into his native language with barely a thought as the name snapped to mind. “You’re Baldrich the Bastard?!”
Mr. von Rorh let loose a deep belly laugh. “That’s what they are calling me?”
Vaid laughed, nodding. Only one person outside the Demon realm had ever won a game of Court Strings and was able to keep the game set as part of the deal. It was the only set that had ever left the realm and the loser… “I played against your opponent once. He’s never truly lived down the shame of that loss and has become a master of the game in an attempt to prove he would never lose to a mortal again.”
“How did you fare?” He asked, eyes bright.
“Better than anyone expected but he has been cured of the habit of underestimating inferior beings.” Vaid admitted. “I suspect you won’t find the challenge you need.”
“It’s not about winning.” He assured his guest before sitting and preparing his pieces. “I have missed this game and having it stored for so long… you may stand a better chance than you think.”
Vaid smiled, comfortable in the familiar situation. The game began the moment the board was revealed. On occasion Vaid had found himself daydreaming about maneuvers and tricks even though he hadn’t expected to get to play again. The ancient Vampire had certainly been plotting.
He had no idea how much misdirection the man used but Vaid had the advantage of watching a variety of players, he was aware of more modern techniques and that might give him an edge. They played in silence for quite some time, observing each other and learning the play styles.
“It’s recursive, isn’t it?” Baldrich noted as he skimmed his list of gossip and clues.
“Hm?” Vaid glanced up from his own list. It was longer than his opponents list but length did not necessarily guarantee quality.
“It’s so much easier to find the spies in the game.” He said, watching closely.
Vaid was careful not to show concern and keep his eyes on his paper. A fool would look to see if one of their spy pieces had been discovered, giving away the position. “Some of them are so obvious they glow. Others are so unusual as to wave a knife. Still more are smart and quiet. It’s hard to tell who to trust here. There are a lot of good intentions.”
“So I have heard… though not in detail. I heard you assaulted Sidhe twice to earn this…. new friend.” He raised an eyebrow and glanced at the bouncing light over his plant.
“A gross exaggeration. Well, one of them.” Vaid huffed.
“I must admit I was surprised to learn the Demon raised Entaent would get in so much trouble.”
“There was a good reason. Good enough to avoid an unpleasant fate, anyway. I’m curious about the truth behind your heavily supervised status here as well. Something tells me there is more to the vague stories I’ve come across.”
“Perhaps we should make a deal.” Baldrich suggested and Vaid perked up. “If I find a spy, I can ask a question. I will answer you in return should you find my spies.”
“Deal.” He smiled. Two possible questions and he would learn a lot about the man by questions posed as well as answers gained. Hopefully. Vaid was fairly sure he knew one of the other’s spies.
As expected, in the next round one of Vaid’s spies was revealed. The man wouldn’t have made a deal if he wasn’t sure he would get something out of it. “What is it that you did to upset the Sidhe the second time?”
Vaid sat back, considering his next move as he spoke. “They sent a Leanan Sidhe to tempt me. She led me on the best chase I’d had in years and I managed to catch her before she reached the forest. I enjoyed it enough we made a deal to do it again. Over time we talked and I found myself caring enough I found myself in a position to take a risk that might help her. She agreed the risk was worth it. She was tired of killing good people to survive. Now she is free to kill bad people instead and we are no longer kept apart.”
“You… tempted a Sidhe to leave everything behind? I see why they were outraged - it’s unfair for you to do to them exactly what they did to so many of your kind. “ He laughed, shaking his head.
“Essentially. It would be a great source of pride if it hadn’t caused her so much pain and destroyed the trust of those I care about.” He sighed, using his words to disguise part of his turn that might prove profitable if the man missed it. “I’ve barely begun to hear the lectures and I’m not looking forward to more.”
“I’ve heard the Grandmaster can be quite vicious when provoked.”
“Even at his kindest, he’s heartless when enraged.” Vaid agreed, thinking back to the look on his face as he summoned Pater. “I respect his approach, as much as I don’t like being on the receiving end.”
“I-...... well.” He paused and smiled as Vaid’s plan was set into motion and the enemy spy revealed. “Well done.”
Vaid smiled, glad the ploy succeeded. “So what really happened with the Black Death? I can’t see you as a power hungry villain trying to destroy the world. No one who deals with Demons would stoop to such idiocy.”
He chuckled, nodding. “I was interrupted. It was a risky spell at a risky time. The human population was expanding at a surprising rate and they were becoming more alert. My clan’s hiding locations were threatened. My plan was to use a few fresh corpses to build essentially ghoul guard dogs that would scare away the humans. A proper ghoul is slow and stupid, easily controlled. Unfortunately I was fairly young and extremely headstrong. I was warned not to try but did it anyway.
“The spell took longer than I thought and it was a lot more powerful than expected. What should have been just five easily controlled ghouls spread. Entaent showed up to stop me and they did. The spell was incomplete - they were awake but not bound to my will. In the ensuing fight two of the ghouls escaped. As they attacked people, they became sick and that sickness spread with a few of the infected humans becoming ghouls, themselves, after death.
“I was rendered unconscious in the battle and woke imprisoned, awaiting trial. No one would listen so as I waited, the problem spread. Bureaucracy has always been insufferable but it was far more frustrating prior to modern vehicles. Eventually they let me figure out how to fix the spell gone wrong to end the plague but such a massive reduction to the food supply was deemed unforgivable. I was imprisoned until such time as they believed me truly reformed.”
“Are you?” Vaid prompted, blinking as the Vampire waved a finger at him with a small, amused smile. He’d gotten absorbed in the story for a moment. He would need to find the other spy or make another deal to find out. He chuckled, having missed interactions such as these. It had been a while since he felt comfortable around someone - even if that comfort was partially comprised of the need to stay alert to a little friendly trickery. It seems Wyn truly did him a favor in helping arrange this and that would not be forgotten.
Smiling, he turned back to the game and his long practiced misdirections and maneuvers. He had to find the other spy - ideally before his could be discovered. It wasn’t necessarily the end of the game to lose both but having the last spy was a distinct edge if played correctly.
A few moves later and he noticed a piece was not quite where he expected it to be after the events of the other’s move. It had to have traveled an extra distance somewhere hidden on the board. He took the chance to have that one framed for theft and uncovered Baldrich’s other spy. The man looked simultaneously pleased and annoyed as he nodded.
“Why do you really think they brought you here?” He asked the surprised Vampire.
“It’s a particularly challenging test for both of us. We will naturally tempt each other to fall into bad habits by reminiscing about the old days. I suspect you resent being trapped here for a number of reasons. The nature of this situation is insulting to men such as us. This is the most freedom I’ve enjoyed in centuries and it would be easy to give myself over to indulgence, to disappear and resume my studies. Should I do so there are some who will throw about the ’I told you so’s and use it to instate more draconian measures within Vampire society with the added bonus of making you look like a fool.
“I suspect you would be tempted to offer leniency should I begin dabbling or occasionally attempting to summon a Demon. I have a great many questions about the truth of Demonic society that could potentially cause homesickness that would certainly tempt you to make choices that would further drive you into the displeasure of your kind. If we do not set each other spiraling downward, this should serve as excellent proof we have become more responsible and…. obedient.”
Vaid nodded and looked back to his pieces. They were basically on the same page and he suspected he knew where the man was on the ‘reformed’ scale. There was certainly more to the story but Baldrich was intelligent and old enough to be patient to get what he wanted. He was as reformed as he needed to be to function comfortably. Vaid hoped he was there, too. Luckily he saw no reason to bend or break further rules and agreements but he hadn’t expected the first two. He would have to approach things more wisely in the future and he found himself comforted in having someone he felt he could trust for advice. He might be considered a criminal by the Vampires but with the right wording, he was sure Baldrich would have a lot of valuable insight.
They resumed playing in silence for a while but it was clear his spies had been efficient and the tide was turning as his elaborate scheme began to truly play out. Vaid was shocked as his second spy was framed for murder as Baldrich sacrificed one of the higher ranking pieces.
“Why do you suppose this situation has been orchestrated?” He asked, sitting back with a smile. “Something in your bearing tells me you think my guess is not entirely correct.”
“You made excellent points and I do believe you are correct. There is a hidden challenge that may prove particularly difficult and we will certainly be dealing with that soon. As part of a deal I can’t disclose my information, but I have no doubt you likely already know the source and it will certainly reveal itself shortly. That is where the truly dangerous temptation will lie, though blackmail will be more probable. However… it is largely unnecessary due to an arrangement I’ve made. We have an interesting option I think you will appreciate. In a way I think this is as much a reward as a trap.
“One of those who brought you here is a family friend who helped me adjust to this exceptionally boring world shortly after my arrival. I think he knew I would appreciate the chance to meet you and you would enjoy the company of someone who at least somewhat understands and appreciates a deviously clever mind. Either he’s secretly looking to make me fail, or he knows neither of us are stupid enough to do anything further to jeopardize our futures.”
“I can see the logic in that.” He agreed, looking back to the game. It didn’t take long for the rest of the trap to play out and Vaid’s efforts proved entirely fruitless. He’d never truly had a chance. His assumption the man had been thinking about the game while he couldn’t play seemed most likely correct.
“I need time to think but I look forward to a rematch.” Vaid said cheerfully as he helped put the set in its case.
“You are a more gracious loser than expected.”
“When you play against Demons all your life, you get used to losing.” Vaid noted. “I only ever won when particularly lucky or playing against those near my age. It’s never about winning, though. I enjoyed the game and learned a lot.”
“Spoken like a Demon.” He chuckled. “We will play again when you are ready. I am curious about the arrangement you mentioned, though.”
“When you are ready - I can arrange for you to play against a Demon again. I know the one you beat still laments never getting to prove he can beat you now.” He grinned at the shocked look. “I am permitted to summon a Demon of my choice once a month. Usually I take the time to talk with Pater but he’s still furious with me. I know a handful of Demons who love to play. Maybe we can work out a deal later. I enjoy watching a good game as much as playing so this is within my agreement.”
“Oh?” His eyes lit up and he smiled. “Yes, I’ll give it some thought. I think we can work something out.”
“Excellent.” Vaid stood and the wisp slipped from the plant to the little bottle around his neck. “I should go tend to my duties. Thank you for the game, it was an honor.”
“A pleasure. Until next time.” He agreed, walking with him to the door and closing it behind him.
Eleen was on the roof and the rustle of leaves told him Granna had come up to visit with her. The renewed fear of the elf was oddly like being stabbed. He sat beside the beautiful Darkling and wrapped an arm around her. “Is Granna alright?”
“Yes, just terrified of the new guy. She said she’s heard terrible things.”
“He made a mistake but he’s not bad.” He assured her. “I think we have a lot in common. Good intentions that we sometimes go about foolishly. I can’t imagine he’d do anything to hurt any residents here.”
“Was he right about you knowing him?”
“Yeah.” Vaid chuckled. “He challenged a Demon to a very difficult game and won. He was able to keep the game set so we played and discussed what happened to land us both under such careful watch. The man is a legend in the Demon realm and I may get to witness the second game between him and the one he played against. That guy has been working hard to become one of the best.”
“It’s good to see you smiling again.” Eleen mused, kissing him.
“You always make me smile.” He murmured, holding her close. As ever, with her so close his frustrations vanished and nothing mattered but her smile.
